About Usf Research Foundation
To promote, encourage and enhance the research activities of University of South Florida faculty, staff and students; facilitate commercialization and transfer of USF discoveries and inventions to benefit the public; support economic development in the Tampa Bay region and the State of Florida.
Focus Areas
Technology commercializationBiotechnologyStart-up and incubator supportEconomic developmentResearch support and infrastructure
Who They Fund
university technology transfer officesresearch institutionsacademic researchersearly-stage university spinout companies
Funding Style
operational/overhead supportcapacity building
About Usf Research Foundation
Usf Research Foundation Inc centers its funding on technology transfer office costs at the University of South Florida, with three recent grants of $4,315,316 in 2025, $3,298,798 in 2024, and $2,169,203 in 2023. That pattern shows a foundation focused on the operating side of research commercialization rather than one-off project awards. Its stated purpose is to promote and enhance research by USF faculty, staff, and students, while also facilitating commercialization and transfer of USF discoveries and inventions for public benefit. The foundation also links that work to economic development in the Tampa Bay region and the State of Florida. Beyond the university’s technology transfer function, it supports early-stage innovation through named programs tied to commercialization and startup formation. Those programs include the NSF I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF, the Florida High Tech Corridor Early-Stage Innovation Fund, and the Foundation Bull Ring Accelerator Grant. Across these initiatives, the funder’s role is closely tied to research infrastructure, licensing, and the movement of university-developed technologies toward practical use.
What Usf Research Foundation Funds
Technology commercialization is the foundation’s core emphasis. Through the NSF I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF, it supports regional participation in commercialization training for researchers and student teams, linking that participation to NSF I-Corps Teams funding. In early-stage innovation, the Florida High Tech Corridor Early-Stage Innovation Fund backs faculty-developed technologies with commercial or community impact potential. The Foundation Bull Ring Accelerator Grant supports USF start-up companies formed on licensed USF technologies, tying startup formation directly to university intellectual property. The foundation’s broader mission also includes research support and infrastructure, reflected in its recurring support for technology transfer office costs at the University of South Florida. Together, these grants show a pattern centered on translational research, entrepreneurial training, and the movement of USF discoveries into the marketplace.
How Usf Research Foundation Gives
Typical grants are large: the p25 is $2,734,000, the median is $3,298,798, and the p75 is $3,807,057. The recent record also shows recurring support over multiple years, with the University of South Florida receiving technology transfer office costs in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That points to ongoing institutional support rather than isolated awards. The foundation makes program-related investments and uses restricted or earmarked funding, with grants aligned to operational support and capacity building. Its active programs also accept unsolicited requests, including the NSF I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF, the Florida High Tech Corridor Early-Stage Innovation Fund, and the Foundation Bull Ring Accelerator Grant.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$9.8M
Total Assets
$187.8M
Total Revenue
$17.2M
Total Expenses
$19M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2.7M and $3.8M, with a median of $3.3M.
25th Percentile
$2.7M
Median
$3.3M
75th Percentile
$3.8M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in FL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
DR SYLVIA THOMAS
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